<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Warden by KnightDawn</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830789">Warden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightDawn/pseuds/KnightDawn'>KnightDawn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blood of the Covenant [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: The Last Court</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alistair did the Dark Ritual, Background Morrigan/Warden, Gen, Morrigan POV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:22:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightDawn/pseuds/KnightDawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Serault was full of odd things. Here, Kieran was one misfit among many.</p>
<p>In which the Marquis asks the Sorceress about her family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kieran &amp; Morrigan (Dragon Age)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blood of the Covenant [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Beyond the Veil's Artober Event</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Warden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Morrigan watched the courtiers’ children play Wardens and Darkspawn in the courtyard. She was surprised to see Kieran among the Wardens, laughing and screaming just like the rest. He did not mingle easily, but... Serault was full of odd things. Here, he was one misfit among many.</p>
<p>She did not hear the quiet footsteps approaching until they were right on top of her, but she had begun to expect this — the Marquis was a strange man. He moved closer, propping one arm on a wall beside her as he gazed over the courtyard. She knew his attention remained on her. “You enjoy watching them?”</p>
<p>“I do,” Morrigan said as she flashed him a half-grin, remaining guarded. “This is not a childhood I recognize. The games my mother encouraged were less innocent. She spent most of her time trying to make me into something that would please her.”</p>
<p>The Marquis flicked his verdant eyes to her again, frowning. Morrigan braced herself for more questions, but to her surprise, they did not come. “My mother was the same way —  she only saw us as her hopes, her shames. A child should not have to bear so much weight, but some cannot escape it. The Shame cast a long shadow.”</p>
<p>He leaned forward, his hair gleaming golden as it caught the sun, and Morrigan’s smile faded as she felt the weight of what was left unsaid. Rumors flocked around his family like ravens around a tower. That was one thing, at least, they had in common.</p>
<p>“I see no darkness here,” Kieran said, his voice quiet and serious. Morrigan raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had not heard him approach at all. The Marquis looked puzzled, too, but then Kieran grinned and pointed at his head. “You are <em> very </em>bright. Like a beacon!”</p>
<p>The Marquis reached out and plucked a leaf off of Kieran’s head, which he examined with an unreadable half-smile on his face. “Your son is a curious boy.”</p>
<p>“As are most children,” Morrigan mused. “Were you so different, when you were his age?”</p>
<p>“I was more... mousey.” His answer made Kieran giggle, which seemed to please him. “I could slip away and read for hours without anyone taking notice of my absence. I seldom have such an opportunity these days — my duties keep me busy, and all eyes are on me.”</p>
<p>“Duty is important,” Kieran said. His fingers idly played with his griffon necklace. “But so is respite.”</p>
<p>“Wise words.” A silence followed, broken only by the whisper of a westerly wind and the cackling of crows. The Marquis twirled the leaf between his thumb and fingers. “He takes after you.”</p>
<p>“Less than you might think,” Morrigan said, chuckling as Kieran beamed up at her like a small puppy. “He is a scholar, like yourself. I merely guide his path, and hope he will find his own way in due time.”</p>
<p>The Marquis let go of the leaf, and it flew off in the wind. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This ficlet is based on one of the options that comes up on the Scornful Sorceress card: "Ask her about her family."</p>
<p>In my canon, the Scholar is an apostate hedge mage, himself. He genuinely preferred to stay tucked away with his books, out of sight, but it was enforced by his mother until he was able to control his abilities. He always thought his twin sister, the Huntress, would become the Marquis - but something happened to her, and now he's in charge instead.</p>
<p>There's questions about their father, too, but in the absence of other heirs their legitimacy never really came up.</p>
<p>My Kieran has a lot of similarities to my Marquis. He's being raised by Farren Mahariel and Morrigan, but has Theirin blood and will likely become a very interesting man thanks to his <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26688481">innate abilities</a> and strange upbringing.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>